The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 36

Unlike Baseball's Free Agents NFL (the owners' agree that a football version of baseball's free-agent auction isn't what they wanted in the first place. "WHAT THE TWO sides had in mind was creating a free-agent system that would permit players to get the advantages of the marketplace without having to change addresses," Bledsoe said yesterday, "if the purpose of the system had been to have 90 free agents and 90 guys move, clearly this didn't achieve it. "Essentially I think the system we set out to create and the union set out to create and the one we both wound up creating allows the player to get into the market and measure his value, which is good for the player, and one which allows him to do so without Having to move from his club, which in many cases is good for the player and in almost all cases is good for the club," Bledsoe added. Says Garvey: "Most players do not want to move from team to team. It's a short career in football, baseball, in which a few top-line players became overnight millionaires.

But he doesn't totally ignore the fact that only a few NFL players have changed teams. "It we don't have any movement and we don't have bids for established players we think there may be something wrong," he says. 'We're asking each player why he played out his option, what his salary is, what attempts he made to contact other teams, which teams contacted him." IS HE SAYING it's time to reevaluate the agreement? "I think the jury is still out on this When we reached the agreement we recognized it was an experiment In the past year we have worked hard with people in management to make this agreement work. Rather than go back into the siege mentality that we operated under for five years, if adjustments have to be made to make this thing work then both sides will adjust." By BRUCE LOWITT AP Sports Writer Freedom of movement was one of the rallying cries National Football League players employed during years of warfare with the club owners. But despite their newfound free agency, nobody seems to be going anywhere.

Unlike major league baseball's free agents, who can bounce from franchise to franchise like so many pinballs with no compensation to the clubs they've left behind, the loss of an NFL player may entitle a team to draft choices, the number and worth determined by the player's new salary. A lot of clubs apparently are unwilling to part with those choices. Ed Garvey, executive director of the NFL Players Association, has acknowledged the union may have underestimated the value clubs placed on those future draft picks. But both Garvey and Terry Bledsoe, assistant executive director of the NFL Management Council shorter than any other sport. Most players are fighting to keep their jobs where they are.

They know the systems and staffs on their teams. Most do not want to move, even those who play out their options." If a player doesn't change teams, it's probably because his present club matched the salary offer he got from another one or, if he didn't get one, he received at least a 10 percent raise. In this way, players test the marketplace. THAT GUARANTEED salary increase and the chance to see just what some clubs think they're worth are reasons so many players play out their options, Garvey and Bledsoe point out. Changing teams, they say, is only a secondary reason.

"In examining this system, which really is unique in sports because it helps the average player instead of trie superstar, you can't judge it simply on the basis of movement," Garvey says. That differentiates it from North Eyes First Championship Yank Runners Head For By TOM SQUIRES North's boys track team has yet to score a point in the 19th annual Optimist Invitational track meet at Overton, but the Yankees still appear headed toward their first championship. Coach JimTMIner's crew didn't get a point in any of the five field events completed yesterday at the Bobcat track, but dominated the running event preliminaries. Te tennesse PORT, tvhh Page 35 FRIDAY April 21, 1978 NORTH QUALIFIED all four relay teams and will be in six other individual running events when both the boys and girls senior high finals are held tomorrow at Overton at 7 p.m. Senior Mickey Avery led the way yesterday, posting the best times in both the high and intermediate hurdles.

He was clocked in 14.5 for the highs and then set a new meet record of 39.7 in the intermediates. North was also the best in the mile relay at 3:28.5. "We had a good day, considering the cold weather," said North's Nollner. "But, we're still 14 points behind. We'll need a good night in the finals to win the thing." STRATFORD grabbed the lead through field event action with 14 points as Kenny Jones picked up 10 with a win in the discus and run-nerup finish in the shot.

Jones threw the discus 149-1 best in the NIL this spring and Sumner Tison added four more points with second place at 134-11. Tullahoma is in second place in the teams standings with 12 points and got a win from Lim Tilford in the high jump at 6-2. Franklin's Jeff Cook captured the pole vault at 13-6. Maplewood's Ronald Harris edged Stratford's Jones in the shot with a throw of 50-5 Vi while East's Jonathan Hodges won the long jump with a leap of 20-10. Phil Siever singled home the winning run in the bottom of the sixth to give Goodpasture a 5-4 win over rival Lipscomb yesterday and Staff photo by Dole Ernsberger Steeplechase May 13.

For such good jumpers, the only training from now on will be straight distance. George Sloan on Charlie Murphy and brother Paul on Beat; Melody school the horses for the Iroquois No, It's Not Easy To Get Point Thiree Ninety -Six game here next week against Savannah. I'm confident we will nothing except general admission seats on sale the date of the game, Tuesday, April 25," Schmittou said. In WSrll LRJU THE CRITICAL response from fans un able to get WMTS-FM brought on a THE FELLOW claimed to be the Nashville Sounds' most devoted fan, and although his body was twisted into a rather grotesque position, he did manage a smile as he eased into the chair across the desk. He spoke slowly, in carefully measured phrases, and he obviously was in great pain.

His arms, stretched high above his head, seemed locked in place. He looked like someone about to release a two-hand dunk "I'm hurting, don't you see, but I'm happy. The Nashville Sounds did this to me. Twenty-four hours ago I was a normal, two-fisted fellow who got turned on as have hundreds of others in this town by all reaction of disbelief from a spokesperson at the Murfreesboro station. "That's finite mvsterious she said.

WITH JOHN BIBB SPORTS EDITOR tientenea me uisirict iu-h race. "Monte and Larry made a number of sur- Mike Stoops pitched a four-hitter to Staff photo by Robert Johnson Maplewood's Ronald Harris grimaces after heaving the shot put better than 50 feet to capture the event in the Optimist Track Meet. Nashvillians Win In AAU BILOXI, Miss. Nashville, with all six of its remaining boxers winning, moved a step closer to the team championship of the 88th AAU National Championships here yesterday. The Nashville contingent, headed by 1976 Olympian Clinton Jackson, faces quarter-final competition today at 12:30 and semifinal action tonight at 7.

The finals are scheduled tomorrow at 7 p.m. JACKSON, going after his fifth AAU title, exploded a pair of overhand rights to the jaw of Houston boxer Michael McBride, sending him through the ropes midway of the first round. Defending flyweight champion Jerome Coffee, a Nashville sheriff's deputy, as is Jackson, (Turn to Page 36) vevs weeKs aeo ana we touna our oroaacasr. uuiuuei wpBcumu a n.Cviu Goodpasture is now 7-2 in the signal was being received quite well in Nashville. They drove through just about every section of the city and heard us fine." the contract to broadcast the Nashville Sounds.

After all, there must be a dozen or two radio stations in our town. Schmittou confirmed the automobile "Monte Hale and his WMTS-FM made the this talk about the return of minor league baseball, the new park and all that good only firm contract offer back when we were radio report. However, he said most of the stuff," he grunted. attempting to sell the broadcast rights," complaints received at the Sounds office I guess you'd just have to say I'm a Schmittou said. concerned reception in offices and homes, baseball nut.

Last night (Wednesday) I got That, for sure, explains that. "A taxi driver called to tell me he had myself settled down all ready to sit back, "The interest in the team continues to listened to our game in his cab, but when he league, one game behind the Mustangs (8-1) and today's foe Castle Heights (8-1). Father Ryan upped its season record to 18-3 with an 11-4 win over Cheatham County and MBA clipped Hillwood 3-2 in other non-league action. A full slate of baseball is scheduled today. The annual Goodlettsville Civi-tan Invitational track meet is scheduled today at Henderson-ville.

Girls qualifying will be at 2 (Turn to Page 36) relax ana listen to Monte Hale's play-by- grow, and I think this criticism of the radio finished work, he drove home and couldn hear the remainder of the game in his house. play description of our Sounds' double- broadcast is evidence of how the baseball I went back out to his driveway and listened in the car. I thought that was a good solution (Turn to Page 36) fans in the area are taking to the Sounds. At this time (11 a.m. yesterday), I am very happv to report that less than 100 reserved and box seats are unsold for our opening P5rMa5hv7e Wins No.

2 Sounds Ral To Halt Sox I KNOXVILLE The Nashville Sounds sal-J vaged the final game of a four-game series and handed the Knoxville Sox their first loss of the season with a 5-3 victory at chilly Bill Meyer ij Stadium here last night. The Sounds rallied for four runs in the top of the eighth to overtake the Sox who had opened the header with the Knoxville Sox. "Then, it happened. I tried and tried, but I just couldn't get my radio to bring in WMTS-FM (Murfreesboro). I live out in the Glendale section of town, and there aren't that many hills to interfere.

But, I knew the first game had already started and I was going crazy. "Finally, about 8 o'clock, I discovered that if I held my radio up over my head, way up high, with the dial upside down, I could pick up Monte and the Sounds. The first game went extra innings, so I didn't dare move a muscle, fearing I'd lose the broadcast if I so much as flinched an eyelid. "Well, I'm here asking for some relief. I went through the entire second game, too, with my hands up high like this and I guess they just locked up there.

Please, get to Larry. Schmittou, or somebody else, and help us get a little bit better radio deal." THE BIG fellow was almost in tears, and after several attempts to get the Nashville Sounds' telephone line it was busy for theiirst few tries Schmittou was on the had some complaints here, too," the Sounds' major domo responded, "and we are going to put Monte on this problem as soon as he returns Tuesday. We discussed a network, with Monte's WMTS-FM the flagship station, when we signed the broadcast contract. I'm sure we'll be able to do something. I KNOW we will make every effort to get the broadcasts heard, especially Box Score on 36 Southern League season with seven wins in a row, including three straight over Nashville.

The win was Nashville's second against four losses this season. The Sounds move on to Chattanooga to open a four-game series against the Lookouts tonight. Nashville righthander Bruce Berenyi gave up two runs in the opening inning and another run in the second before settling down to shut the Sox out for five innings before he was relieved by lefthander Rick Lombardo who finished up the final two innings without allowing a hit. (Turn toJPage 41) Staff photo by Robert Johnson holds his radio aloft in an attempt to get it closer to the elusive radio signals from Murfreesboro radio station WMTS-FM. our road games.

Getting a clear, strong broadcast of the Nashville Schmittou was asked how it came about Sounds baseball games can be as difficult sometimes that Murfreesboro' station was awarded as drinking beer from a cheese grater. The above fan.